Anyone who knows me or has read my material knows that I am the "Grammar Nazi" - I have periodic rants about the level of error I see in professionally created content, and how UNprofessional it makes the writer appear. So, what needs to happen to appear professional if you don't know squat about proofreading?It all goes back to what we learned in school: check your work! As I often say, anything you're typing in has some form of spell check - use it! However because spell checkers are far from infallible, your need to review the writing as well. Here's how I do it.I'll begin reading a paragraph out loud because it triggers the brain to notice an error more easily than reading silently. I watch for words that are spelled correctly but are incorrect in context - the usual culprits of there/they're/their, your/you're, and so on, as well as other homonyms like threw/through, here/hear, etc. I watch for verb tenses, plural vs. possessive, grammar errors, and overall style.But just as important is what editors call "line editing." I look at whether the writer's style is easy to understand. I look at the structure of the writing: Should that sentence be two pages further on with the rest of the discussion of that topic? Should this paragraph be broken apart? Should this be a new section or chapter?Test yourself when you next have a writing assignment. See how well you can proofread yourself - have a dictionary nearby as backup! Taking the time to do it correctly means you can make a great impression on your readers.And when you need a pro, you know who to call - Holly@LightseedsOffice.com!